Fire-escape



(NeMedel.)4

G. P. OEHRL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

19e/139,976. Patented Nev.4,1899.

W/TNESSES A TTOHNE YS rn: noms yemas coe. mow-mno., wnmaron, u. z.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. OEHRL, OF MONONGAHELA CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,976, dated November4, 1890.

Application filed April 1, 1890. Serial No. 346,158. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. OEHRL, of Monongahela City, in the countyof Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in f1re-escapes, and has for itsobj ect to provide a portable device which when brought to a buildingmay be elevated expeditiously and conveniently to any desired height;and a further object of the invention is to provide in connection withthe escape a bridge or gangway and means whereby the said bridge organgway may be projected outward from the escape to the window or to theroof ofa burning building and withdrawn therefrom at will.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters and figures of referenceindicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, partly in section; and Fig.2 is a partial end view in section on line x c of Fig. 1.

Upon the body of any suitable form of truck 11 the extensible body A ofthe escape is attached. This extensible body consists of two side pieces10a, constructed in the form of lazy-tongs, the said sides beingconnected at their pivotal point by suitable cross-bars or rungs 12.

The extensible body A is secured to the bed of the truck at its rearlower end only, the attachment being usually effected through the mediumof hinges 13,the opposite lower end of the body being capable of slidingupon the truck-bed to or from the hinged end, and in order that themovable end of the body may be guided upon the truck-bed a yoke-likestrap 14 is longitudinally secured to the said bed, beneath which strapthe bar or rung 12, connecting the sides at their front lower end, isfree to pass, and when the body is elevated in the manner hereinafterdescribed the hoisting mechanism is relieved from strain by passing apin 15 downward through any of a series of apertures formed in the yoketo a Contact with the connecting baror rung of the body sliding beneathsaid yoke. From the upper central side portions of the yoke standards 16are upwardly projected, one standard being located at each. side of thebody, as shown in Fig. 2. These standards may be of any suitable height,and are provided at or near their upper ends with apulley 17.

About centrally between the top and bot tom of the body-the centralpivotal point of the side lazy-tongs section of the body-one end ofropes or chains 1S is secured, one chain or rope being provided for eachside of the body, and the said chains or ropes are carried over thefriction-pulleys of the-standards 16 and downward to an attachment witha shaft 19, j ournaled in suitable bearings beneath the truck-bed, whichshaft is usually provided at each end with a crank-arm 2O and aratchetwheel 21, the ratchet-wheels of the shaft being engaged by pawls22a, pivoted upon the sides of the truck-bed.

' At one end of the truck-bed, at the top of the same, a transverseshaft 22 is journaled, which shaft is squared at its ends to receivecranks, and in turning this latter shaft the cranks located upon theshaft 19 may be employed, as the said cranks are removable from thislatter shaft. The shaft 22 is also provided at or near its end with aratchet-wheel 23, engaged by a pawl 24.

A platform 25 is secured to the upper portion of the body in anysuitable or approved manner, and the said platform is ordinarilyprovided with a railing 26. Near the front end of the platform, at eachside of the center of the same, an upright 27 is attached, and in theupper ends of said upright a shaft 28 is journaled adapted tobe revolvedby a crank 29, or in any other suitable manner, which shaft between theuprights is provided with an attached pinion 30. In connection with theplatform a bridge or gangway 3l is employed of greater length than theplatform and of sufficient width only to pass between the uprights 27.This gang-plank or bridge is also provided with a railing 32, of anyapproved construction, upon each side thereof, and upon its upper facewith an attached lon- IOO gitudinal rack 33, with which rack the pinion30 is adapted to engage.

In operation the device is brought as near to a building as possible,and the body is elevated sufficiently toV admit of the bridge beingprojected from the platform outward to an engagement with a window-sill,or with the roof, or with vany port-ion of the building where the peoplemay be assembled. In raising the body the shaft 19 is first revolved, asthe rope or chain 18, connected with said shaft, draws directly from thecenter of the same, and when the body has been elevated some littledistance the shaft 22 is revolved, which shaft is connected by ropes orchains 34: with the lower rung or connecting-bar at the lower front endof the body, or with the lower members of the side lazy-tongs sectionsat that point, and as the said shaft 22 is revolved the free lower endof the body is drawn in the direction of the hinged or fixed end, andthe lazytongs side sections are thereby contracted and the platformelevated. When the platform has been carried up to a su flicient height,the shaft 28 is revolved, and the pinion 30, meshing with the rack 33 ofthe bridge or gangway 3l, will cause said bridge or gangway to slideupon the platform outward in the direction of the building. The bridgeor gan gway is projected outward until its outer end rests upon thewindow-sill or other ledge of the building, and the said bridge is madesufficiently long to enable the inner end at the same time to have abearing upon the platform of the escape. The assembled persuns may bymeans of the bridge readily pass over to the platform of the escape, andwhen a sufficient number have assembled thereon the body is slowlylowered until it reaches its lowest position, and may descend to theground by means of a ladder or equivalent device.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the bed of atruck or similar portable structure, of an eXtensible body constructedof sideconnected lazy-tongs sections attached at one lower end only tothe bed, a platform attached to the upper end of the body, a shaftjournaled in bearings upon said platform and provided with a pinion, anda bridge held to slide upon the platform, having an attached rackcapable of engagement with the pinion, substantially as shown anddescribed, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a truck-bed or other portablestructure, of an extensible body-frame consisting of side-connectedlazy-tongs sections, one lower end of which body-frame only is attachedto the truck-bed, a platform secured to the upper end of the body-frame,an apertured guideyoke extending over the lower rung of the lower freeend of the body-frame, a pin passed through the apertures of the yoke toa contact with the said lower rung, andmeans,sub stantially as shown anddescribed, for elevating the lazy-tongs body-frame, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the bed of a truck orequivalent portable support, alazy-tongs frame secured at one lower endto the said bed, a yoke projected over the lower rung or connecting-barof the lower free end of the frame, and a pin adapted to pass throughsaid yoke and in connection with the said lower bar, of a platformsecured to the upper portion of the lazy-tongs frame, a shaft journaledbeneath the bed, standards projected upward from the bed at each side ofthe frame and provided with pulleys, ropes attached to the shaft andpassed over the pulleys of the standards to a connection with the sidesof the frame, a second shaft journaled upon the bed near one end, andchains connecting the said shaft with the lower movable end of theframe, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the bed of a truck or otherportable support, a lazy-tongs frame secured at one lower end to thesaid bed, a yoke projected over the lower rung or connecting-bar of thelower free end of the frame, and a pin adapted to be passed through saidyoke in connection with the said lower bar, of a platform secured to theupper portion of the lazy-tongs frame, a shaft journaled beneath thehed, standards projected upward from the bed at each side of the frameand provided with pulleys, ropes attached to the shaft and passed overthe pulleys of the standards to a connection with the sides of theframe, a second shaft journaled upon the bed near one end, chainsconnecting the said shaft with the lower movable end of the frame,standards secured to the platform of the frame, a shaft journaled insaid standards, a pinion attached to the shaft, and a bridge held toslide upon the platform between the standards thereon and provided witha rack adapted for engagement with the said pinion, substantially asshown and described.

GEORGE F. OEHRL.

Witnesses:

ERNEST E. HELMs, Trios. J. MINEHART.

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